The Benefits of Family

So my wife and I were taking our daughter to a local Catholic high school for an open house. Once my wife and I got past the idea that our daughter was entering high school, we scoped out the school for a certain teacher... a very very smart lad... my nephew Phil.

The weird part of getting older is that all of the little kids in your family, the nieces and nephews, grow up. Whenever I think of Phil I think of this little boy who had trouble saying "truck!" It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that he is a college graduate, incredibly smart and now a teacher at his high school alma mater. Time flies once you pass thirty!

So, during the open house we eventually spied Phil, his back to us working on a computer. My wife walked up to him, put her hands over his eyes and asked him to guess who it was. Phil's mind was swimming... recognizing the voice slightly, thinking it was family, but certain that no family would be stopping by his school that day. Much to his surprise (or disappointment) it was us.

We had a nice chat as he juggled catching up with us and keeping up with his duties during the open house. It was great to see him and left us even more impressed by his accomplishments.

On the drive home my daughter confided that entering high school is a scary proposition, but knowing her cousin would be there in case of an emergency gave her a lot of comfort.

The perks of being part of a large family.

At this point, we're not sure where our daughter will go to high school, but that Catholic school certainly has an edge... we hear one of their teachers is pretty dang good!